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[1] Last year, Hong Kong’s Department of Health launched subsidised dental care for residents. The community dental support programme expanded to reach more people in need, the department said. It provides advanced treatments such as bridge or crown removal and denture fitting. More than 10,000 teenagers and underprivileged Hongkongers have since benefited.
[2] The scheme started in May last year. It provides free or affordable dental services to underprivileged groups. This includes recipients of the old age living allowance, which benefits more than 5,200 people as of December 10. A similar initiative was introduced in March. It is called the primary dental co-care pilot scheme for adolescents aged 13 to 17 and has served at least 5,100 teenagers.
[3] Under the programme for underprivileged adults, patients pay only a HK$50 administrative fee. They receive an oral check-up, pain-relief medication and X-ray examination every 180 days. They are also entitled to one filling or extraction at that price, for up to three teeth. From this month, homeless people also qualify for the service.
[4] Dr Rico Chu Wing-ho is a senior officer in the department’s community dental service. He said the team had spoken to non-governmental organisations on how to define “homeless people”. To qualify, street sleepers must hold a Hong Kong Identity Card, be enrolled in the Electronic Health System and use one of the services provided by welfare authorities. These include temporary shelters, urban hostels for single people, integrated services teams for street sleepers or the care and support networking team.
[5] Social workers will help identify and assess those in need, assist with applications and arrange appointments. The number of registered street sleepers stood at 795 in the 2023-24 financial year.
[6] Meanwhile, new services will also be added to the community programme from next year. For a fee of HK$50, participants can receive dental scaling or root canal treatment for one tooth every 365 days. They can also have one bridge removed for HK$100, or one crown removed for HK$50, every 180 days.
[7] Removable dentures will cost HK$1,000 and be available only to those with fewer than 20 teeth, as determined by a dental assessment. Each person can receive the service twice, with five years between treatments. However, certain groups, such as those with full medical fee waivers at public hospitals and homeless people, will have all administrative fees waived. They will pay only HK$500 for the dentures.
Source: South China Morning Post, December 17
